Colors
by Misu Niiroke
Summary: Just a little moment with Ichigo and Rukia by the river...from early on in the series..


.:Colors:.

Kurosaki Ichigo sat on a slanting hill by the river in Karakura Town, leaning on his elbows that rested on his knees. The sun was setting to the west, directly in front of him, giving him a perfect silhouette of the city. His brown eyes shown gold in the sun's rays and his orange hair looked enflamed in the light. He let a grim smile slide onto his lips as he watched the river's current reflect dizzily the view before him. Thoughts came to him all at once…

The fight with Grand Fisher was just yesterday, yet it seemed so long ago. He could still see his mother's image produced by that bastard, and although it made him bitter to remember her, his true mother's parting words gave him strength to move on. Also, a certain soul reaper had been there, watching out for him. He could vaguely recall how it felt to rest against her lap, so comforting after the battle. He didn't realize she could be so caring…That thought made him smile most of all.

"Ichigo." That voice. _Speak of the shinigami__…_

He twisted around from his position on the bank to see a young girl with raven hair standing on the sidewalk.

"Rukia," he murmured, watching as she came toward him and sat beside him on the grass, pulling her knees up to her chest.

He looked at her for a moment, waiting for her to speak, but she merely looked off into the distance, as he had done, and said nothing. _Always so serious…_

Finally, he turned his attention back to the scene before him, but the presence of the girl beside him couldn't be ignored. They had already been through so much, it seemed. There was so much he still didn't know about her, but he didn't know where to begin.

_Whoa, Ichigo…why do you want to know so much about her?_ He asked himself. This thought made him squint, puzzling. Why did he? Was it because she acted so mysterious? Was it her strange beauty? Or was it her strength, unending and pure? He didn't know the reason, but he just knew. He wanted to learn more about Kuchiki Rukia. He would.

"Oi, Rukia," he spoke, causing her to start from her reverie and turn her head to give him a questioning gaze.

"Yes, Ichigo?" Those violet eyes, so sure and unyielding. For a moment, he lost track of his thoughts…

"Uh…what's your favorite color?" Inside, he mentally kicked himself. What the hell kind of question is that! He yelled in his head.

However, instead of laughing at him, Rukia seemed to cock her head, seriously considering his question. He was generally surprised that she was putting so much effort into such a simple query. Most people usually have a ready response, even if it's "I don't have one," or "I like them all". She put a finger to her chin; she seemed to tick of the colors she liked the most, sorting them out. He had to grin at her actions. She really was different.

She looked at him, and an idea seemed to light up in her eyes. He looked back, realizing just how much emotion Rukia let show in her eyes. They were like windows to her soul. Without noticing what he was doing, Ichigo stared into them, lost in their depths.

After a moment, he saw her cheeks suddenly grow pink. She quickly looked away, but soon slid him a look from underneath her eyelashes. He raised a brow at this. What could she be thinking about now?

"Well?" He finally blurted out, tired of the suspense. "Do you have one or not? It's not that hard of a question--"

"Orange." He almost missed it she said it so fast.

"Orange, huh? Why orange?"

He watched in fascination as the great soul reaper Rukia fiddled with her hands, looking away from him as if to avoid his gaze. She blushed once more, but her brows drew together into a determined line before smoothing out to give her face a look of calm and matter-of-factness.

Clearing her throat, she declared, "I like the color orange because it's the same color as your hair."

And with that said, she quickly stood up and strode purposefully back up to the sidewalk, her steps quick and agitated. Ichigo sat on the bank, motionless, his face a look of sheer surprise and almost…elation? He could hardly move. _Did she just say…what I think she just said?_

In a second, he was up and running after her, his heart giddy in his chest.

So, yeah, maybe he didn't know all there was to know about Rukia, but he'd be willing to take the time to learn more. Watching the raven-haired enigma try her hardest to look unembarrassed, he laughed aloud. If it meant spending times with her like these, he would.

"Rukia, wait up! You didn't ask me what my favorite color is! Oi, Rukia! Rukia…!"

The sun sets on another day…

AN: So, I was thinking about Bleach today…Ichigo is so sweet, and intense. Rukia, I can relate to her. They make such a cute couple…so I wanted to write a little scene for them both. Call it a passing fancy…read and review, neh? Thank you for reading!

&Niiroke&


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